PPP: "Appointing Hwayeong Lee's Attorney as Conflict of Interest Chief? ... Crosses the Line of Common Sense"

President Lee Appoints Attorney Ilyeon Jeong, Former Counsel for Hwayeong Lee, as Chair of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission

The People Power Party stated on the 3rd that President Jaemyung Lee had "crossed the line of common sense" by appointing attorney Ilyeon Jeong, who previously served as the legal counsel for former Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor Hwayeong Lee during the Ssangbangwool illegal remittance to North Korea case, as Chairperson of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission.

Choi Eunseok, Chief Spokesperson of the People Power Party, commented, "Is it truly appropriate to appoint the defense attorney of a key figure in the case as the head of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, which is responsible for overseeing and managing conflicts of interest among public officials?"

Eunseok Choi, the elected member of the People Power Party from Daegu Donggu Gap, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily at the National Assembly on the 3rd. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Choi went on to say, "The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission is an institution that monitors public officials to ensure that personal interests are not introduced into the course of official duties. Its independence and neutrality must be maintained more strictly than anything else. If there is even the slightest potential for misunderstanding, it is common sense to avoid it."

He continued, "It is difficult to resolve the controversy based solely on Attorney Jeong’s 20 years of service as a judge. The core issue is not experience, but the relationship. When the defense attorney for a case closely tied to the President becomes the head of an organization responsible for managing conflicts of interest, every decision made by the Commission will inevitably be subject to political interpretation."

Choi further noted, "President Lee previously expressed strong displeasure when concerns over conflicts of interest arose regarding a nominee during the special prosecutor recommendation process. Therefore, the same standards should be applied to this appointment. If the standards are strict for others but lenient for oneself, the public will find it difficult to accept."

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